(Asiad) 20th Asian Games set to open in central Japan

NAGOYA, Japan - The 20th Asian Games will commence on Saturday in Nagoya, Japan, with approximately 11,000 athletes hailing from 45 countries participating in the continent's largest multisport event. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, under the slogan "Imagine One Asia," will be the third edition hosted by Japan, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture, will serve as the primary host, while multiple sports venues will be spread across the prefecture, with some events taking place in other cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. Athletes will vie for 469 gold medals across 43 sports and 71 disciplines from September 26 to October 4. South Korea is expected to field around 1,000 athletes and officials across 41 sports, aside from cricket and padel, with the goal of securing around 45 gold medals and reducing the gap between themselves and Japan.

The previous Asian Games in 2023 saw Japan take home 52 gold medals, surpassing South Korea by 10. China, which dominated the medal table with 201 gold medals in 2023, is expected to maintain its lead once more. Despite the opening ceremony slated for Saturday night, preliminary competitions in football, volleyball, and basketball commenced last week, with South Korea already reaching the gold medal game in men's basketball.